The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-28
"a SEVERE ROASTING.
srlEET CAR STABLES BURNED


NEw YoRE, May 27.--The stables at thu
Belt Line Street Railway Company, OF
Tenth avenue, between Fiity.iourth and
Flity.hfth streets, tho !largelt In tho city
burned this morning..
The fire spread rapidly and soon com.
pietoiy enveloped tho building. The
building was five story structure and
covered square block reaching back &c
Eleventh avenue. The upper stories were
occupied by the repair chops and com.
bustlble material, which blazsd as soon ss
touched by the fire. Tho offices were
situated In the southeast corner. They
were in flames 80 quickly that there was
no chance to save the books Of the com
pany. In the stables were over sixteen
hundred horsea md several hundred cars.
Only ten horses and two caru were sayed.
AT 9 o'clock tho walls OF the building
fell in with a crash sending millions OF
sparks and blazing pieces OF wood high In
the air. The call OF the three skies had
been msdo as soon as the fire chief arrived
at the eCene, and euginea from all parts OF
the city with the water tower and the
hook and ladder companies were rapidly
coming. The heat from the flaming
building was go great that several tirenen
and two policemen were prostrated. At
l:45 A. N. the flames, aided by the strong
high wind which was prevailing, had
lnof1a1 iINn xF.,Hn
municsted TO the whole block on the east
side between Fiity.third and Fitty-four.h
streets. The block WAS composed OF six
story tenement houses and coal yard.
The te!ror.stIicken tenants poured out Of
the buildings like swarals Of bees, pray.
ing, fighting, and CurRing by turns. The
scene Of terror was inuescribablu. The
buildings burned rapidly, though the
fronts facing the avenue were OF brown
stone. By 2:30 they were completely
gEtted. The flames spread through the
entire square block over to Ninth avenue.
At ESQ the next block below had caught
fire and was blazing lercely. The streets
in tho vicinity for blocks away were filled
with frightened, c:yiDg, and woe.strickea
tenants fleeing from the RACES OF the
flames. The fire attracted Thousands Of
awe-struck spectators Iti estimated that
the entire loss will be over one million
dollars. The tenement houses were thick.
ly peopled. Every floor had from four to
| five families. all were poor people who
will lose all their property. 1t is not
known how the fire originsted. So far
as known there has not been any loss of
life.
Later estimates show ths! the losses by
the fire will not be covered by q million OF
dollars. The stables are complete wreck,
and the tenements on the streets facing
the stables are also burned. There were
400 horses in the stables.
The loss ia estimated at 81, ,325 900. The
fire ragged from l:3O till daybreak. The
sun rose on scene Of desolution bus with
the tired hremen MASTERS OF the situation.
The bodies OF 1900 hoTses were roasted
in the ruine OF the stables. More than
100 families, mostly very poor people,
have been rendered homeless. ANY mum.
ber oil people had been proslrated by thS
heat. Men, women and children wGn-
tered all night aimles1ly over the ruins Of
the wrecked homes, bereit OF their all and
beWl!dered at the sudden and crushing
blow. The insurance will be less than
100000. The street car company carried
$4,000 insurancp, divided among about
$50 companies. The losses as nearly as
can be figured to-day foot up as follows:
railroad stables, S550,000; 100 horses,
S25 600; l75 cars. SlS0, 900; harness, S75,.
600; feed, S25. 900; total, Fl ,0S0,OOO. Jacob
News silk factory, 100000; five tenemeufs
100000. Losses OF tenants $4,000.
Frame building $4,000. ShGntyyille
losses $4,000. Total Sl,345, 900,